Forgive and Forget
by hermione1202
Summary: Hermione returns to Hogwarts with Neville and Luna for her "eighth year" as Head Girl. She finds out that Malfoy is her..."supportive" partner for Head Duties. But both of them have been scarred by the Battle of Hogwarts. They find themselves needing each other, and are soon emotionally drawn together. DraMione. Please review !
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Hermione quickly kissed Ron, Harry, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny goodbye before climbing aboard the Hogwarts Express. Crookshanks deftly jumped in behind her and wound in and out of her ankles, purring for attention. The train shuddered and started to move. "Stop it, Crookshanks," Hermione laughed. "Let's sit down first."

She stumbled along, dragging her luggage, pausing to look for familiar faces in the cabins. Not many people had decided to come back for an extra "eighth year" of schooling. None of the Slytherins were there, and there were few Gryffindors.

Of course, many had died. Lavender, and Collin, and Fred...images of the Battle and its aftermath flashed in Hermione's head. She heard terrorized screams that turned into sobs, and saw the faces of those who were tortured.

Tears swam in her eyes, threatening to overflow. She gasped. This would not do. After all that trying to be happy, spending time with Ron...but then again, he had turned out to be an idiot. He was fine, and held her hand, and comforted her...until the press came. He then began clamoring for attention, answering all their questions, and didn't let anyone else get a word in edgewise, regardless of whether or not his answers were wrong.

Someone put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She jumped. Was it a Death Eater?

"Wrakspurt got you?" Luna asked, sympathetically. "It's alright, really. Happens to me all the time." She beamed, and Hermione smiled back. She had learned to accept Luna, and had grown to respect her, after learning about the Deathly Hallows and paintings on her bedroom ceiling.

"How are you, Luna? And how's your father?" she asked.

"Oh, Daddy's fine now. He was a little depressed when he found out Lady Ravenclaw's diadem had been destroyed, though." Luna sighed. "But anyways. Care to join us?"

Hermione was surprised. "Us? Who else is there?"

"I'm sitting with Neville." Luna smiled, dreamily. "We were talking about things, and then I saw you. By the way, congratulations on your appointment as Head Girl." She gestured towards the badge on Hermione's cloak.

"Thanks," she grinned, "I can sit with you two for a while, but then I have to report for Head Duties. Do you know who the Head Boy is?"

"Oh yes," said Luna serenely. "I saw him a few minutes ago. It's that sad one, Draco Malfoy."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Heyy;)

My last chapter was 394 words...exactly. :O Aside from the awesome Snape reference, I know that's really short. But, if y'all read and provide me with reviews/suggestions, I promise to make the chapters longer as this story goes on. I know how i want this to turn out, but I'm not exactly sure on how to get there.

"Draco Malfoy's Head Boy?!" asked Ginny. Her red head seemed to be on fire. And it was, literally. Hermione leaned closer the the Gryffindor common room fire to speak with her friend.

"Yeah, he is. And, if that isn't enough, I'm going to have to share a dorm with him. From tomorrow. Can you imagine?"

"Wow..." Ginny breathed. "You know, Hermione, aside from the fact that Malfoy's a great git, he's really hot, you know? I bet all the girls are going to be jealous!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Believe me, he doesn't look all that any more. His eyes and cheeks are completely hollow, and he looks as if he hasn't slept in ages. But..." Hermione spoke in a hush, and with honest concern, " I spoke to Professor McGonnagal during the feast. She said that Malfoy's been depressed for a while now, even before the war began. He was forced by his own friends to become a Death Eater, and he has lost all will to live. He's tried committing suicide, too. I'm supposed to...take care of him. Apparently, Dumbledore and Snape said they trusted me to do the job."

Ginny looked thoughtful. "I hope you'll be able to help. Anyways, I need to go now. Any words for Harry and Ron?"

"Give Harry my love; tell him I'll send an owl tomorrow. And Ron...oh, let him figure out whether or not to keep in touch with me himself!" Hermione suddenly felt a surge of anger against her immature, pushy boyfriend. He was starting to turn into...no wait, he had already turned into an attention seeking prat, just like Draco Malfoy.

Ginny laughed. "I know my brother can be a git at times, but you did give him a kiss before you boarded the train, you know?" she teased.

"Right now I'm regretting it," said Hermione firmly.

Ginny smiled and her head disappeared from the crackling flames. Hermione sighed and went up to her dorm. It would be her last night here. Tomorrow, before her classes, she would have to move all her stuff to the Heads' Dorm and move in with Malfoy.

She tossed and turned in her bed. "He is somewhat good looking," she thought. Then she scolded herself . "When did you having such thoughts about your..."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Is he really my enemy?"

I know the Head Boy&Girl thing in Dramione fanfics is really common, but it's the most legit way of putting the two of them together. The story/my writing will get better. Promise. Please review:D


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and the words. Draco, Hermione, Hogwarts...they all belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

—

Hermione pulled her bags out through the Fat Lady's portrait. She thought she was going to burst into tears. No one knew about what a mess she was on the inside, mentally. She couldn't stand the thought of going to her new "home" all by herself. "If Harry were here, he definitely would have helped. The old Ronald would have, too," she thought.

It was early morning, and the common room was empty, save a few first years who looked super excited for their first day. One boy whispered something and pointed to a figure lounging in a chair.

"Did he really kill You-Know-Who's snake with Gryffindor's sword?" a girl asked, with round eyes.

The boy nodded solemnly.

Hermione knew who they were talking about.

"Neville," Hermione called, "can you come help me with my bags?"

Neville walked over the Hermione. "Of course."

They went up and down the corridors and stairwells in silence. Hermione didn't know what to say; she was completely at loss. The fact that she had been kept awake last night by nightmares about the War and...other things wasn't helping her nerves at all. She was going to live with Malfoy...she was going to live with Draco Malfoy! She was going to live with a former Death Eater. She was going to live with her...enemy.

—

Draco paced in he Heads' common room. He stopped in front of a mirror and considered himself. Over the past year, he had lost 15lbs (around 7 kilos). His already pale face had turned a pasty white and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was no longer the much talked-about Draco Malfoy, with a crowd of Slytherin fangirls giggling behind him and Pansy's hand slipped in his. Ugh. Pansy. What a bitch that girl had turned out to be. During their sixth year, he had been under a lot of emotional stress. Voldemort had asked him to kill Dumbledore, for Merlin's sake. And Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise? What had they done, other than fail to understand him and egg him on in his horrendous task?

Suddenly, the portrait door opened. Hermione came in, lugging her sorry excuse for "baggage"—a ratty carpetbag and a few old suitcases. And of course, her blasted orange cat. Merlin, that animal looked FERAL. It jumped in the room and hissed at Draco.

"Call of your tiger, Granger," Draco sneered. "I don't want some mud...muggleborn's cat all over me. And what's with the classy luggage? Is all that antique?"

Hermione glared at him angrily. "For your information, Malfoy, thanks to your 'Dark Lord' my parents are still in Australia without their memories. God alone knows where they are. I wasn't able to buy new bags; prices are currently skyrocketing. I had to borrow some of Weasley's."

Draco regarded Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "Since when did your boyfriend become 'Weasley' to you? Ah yes...that latest Rita Skeeter interview, right? The Weasel King prefers busty blondes to...bushy haired beavers."

Hermione's mouth was set in a straight line, and her face was emotionless. She turned around and ran up a staircase with her portrait next to it. Draco heard a door open, slam shut, and the definitive click of a lock.

Draco slumped down on a sofa, his head in his hands. "Damn," he muttered. "Why do I always screw up around her?"

Hermione was no longer just that bushy haired girl. Her hair had tamed itself into half curly, half wavy locks that flowed down in a sea of amber brown to her waist. Her blue eyes were large and full of wisdom; her nose was small and elegant and her mouth...Draco had only ever seen her frown or cry close to him. But he could remember looking at her from across the Great Hall in their younger years, laughing with Potter and Weasley.

He wished he could make that sparkling smile appear on her face. He wished, that maybe, he could make up for all the wrong choices he had made in the last 17 years of his sorry life.

—

Thank you for your patience, readers and followers! Please review; this is my first fanfic. Till the next chapter~ (hopefully tomorrow or day after)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot and the words. Draco, Hermione, Hogwarts...they all belong to J.K. Rowling. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

—

Hermione lay on her four poster bed with Gryffindor hangings, sobbing. She didn't even think about the beauty of her room or the fact that she and Draco were separated by nothing more than a bathroom.

"Oh, Ron, Ron, what is wrong with you? Have you really got nothing but the emotional range of a teaspoon?" she cried. Perhaps it had been her fault, too. Whenever he had tried to make a move, whenever their kisses had become a little two passionate, she simply pushed him away. It wasn't that she didn't like him, it just didn't FEEL right.

If Ronald had been Malfoy...

Hermione sat upright. "Shame on you," she chided. "How can you possibly think of him like that?"

Hermione went into the bathroom to freshen up and head down the Great Hall for breakfast.

—

Draco got off the sofa and went to his room. The walls were covered with silver and green hangings...marks of the Slytherin house. Draco remembered what everyone said. "There isn't a single dark wizard who wasn't in Slytherin." Is that who he was? Another Voldemort? Draco cried in agony and pulled his hair. No wonder Granger hated him. He had been responsible for the deaths of so many people...he had tried to kill his own professor...

Draco walked over to the window and looked out to the extensive Hogwarts grounds. He could see Dumbledore's grave in the distance. Draco contemplated just jumping out of the window. "It's not like anyone would miss me," he considered. "Father's in Azkaban, and Mother never cared, anyways."

But he knew suicide in Hogwarts was impossible. The building's defenses would stop a student from falling in midair, and they would just stick him back in St. Mungo's again. Draco shook his head and took a swig of Calming Draught from a goblet that had materialized on the nightstand next to him. He headed towards the bathroom to wash his face.

The door opening did not make any noise at all. Draco walked inside and blushed to the roots of his hair. Hermione was standing with her back to him, pulling on a shirt. "Oh, Merlin," he thought, "if she had been facing me..."

It was obvious that Hermione hasn't noticed him. Draco couldn't help looking at her, and he noticed something.

Her back was covered in scars. Where could she have gotten those? Draco had a flashback. In Malfoy Manner, when a few Snatchers had brought her and Potter and Weasley...when Aunt Bella had used the Cruciatis Curse over and over again...

Without noticing anything, Hermione finished changing and went out of the bathroom. It was a beautiful bathroom, really. There were two sinks, cluttered with various potions by a large bath the size of a swimming pool. Draco wanted to jump into the water and wash of all his sins and bad memories. But he knew Granger would never forgive, and he knew he would never be able to forget.

He splashed his face with water and looked up into the mirror.

Salty tears were poring down his cheeks.

—

Hermione went into the Great Hall. She looked over to the Slytherin table. Just as she had expected, it was half empty. Not a single Slytherin above fifth year had bothered to return. And Draco Malfoy wasn't there.

Hermione sighed and sat down next to Neville and Parvati at her table. Luna and Padma waved at her from the other side of the Hall. Hermione smiled back weakly.

Just then, Draco walked into the Great Hall. Everyone quieted down. "Get out of here, you Death Eater!" shouted Zacharias Smith.

Draco flinched visibly, but he didn't say anything. He walked over to the Slytherin table an sat down. People murmured under their breaths.

Hermione knew what she had to do. She got up and went to sit down next to Draco.

—

Thank you, readers and followers~ I think my chapters are slowly getting longer now. Hope you like this introduction; the actual story line will begin in a few chapters. Please follow and review.


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